The Decisions We Make
by Ilovebooks1234
Summary: An orphan practically all his life, little Buddy Pine just wants someone to care. He had been so certain that someone would be his hero, Mr. Incredible, but was left rejected and devastated. Things change when he catches the eyes of two of the most unlikely people. Essentially: An AU where Buddy is taken in by the Deavor Siblings. (More summary inside).
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

**Disclaimer: **I do not, nor shall I ever, own The Incredibles franchise. I do not gain anything out of this.

**Summary: **An orphan practically all his life, Buddy Pine just wants someone to care. He had been so certain that someone would be his hero, Mr. Incredible. After trying to prove he's worth the effort, the little genius is left devastated. Things change when he catches the eyes of two of the most unlikely people. Essentially: An AU where Buddy is taken in by the Deavor Siblings. The Screenslaver influences Syndrome from a very young age and brings about a whole different Incredibles 1 and 2.

**Edit: **Went back and fixed some things that were bothering me. The story of this chapter didn't change, however, don't worry. (3/4/2019)

* * *

Cheers erupted from the enormous crowd in front of the makeshift stage temporarily set within the city square. Flashes of light from cameras blinded anyone who dared to stare into their lenses. Limbs flailed and plenty of hats were thrown as the people of Metroville celebrated the glorious event of the mayor gifting the city key to their most prized hero, Mr. Incredible.

The famed superhero, himself, flashed a dazzling smile to the citizens as he and the mayor posed together for the pictures. In the front row were other supers also participating in the jubilation. Mr. Incredible happily took note that his best friend, Frozone, and his lady, Elastigirl, were right there and grinning up at him. Knowing that they were there helped make Mr. Incredible feel easier about how big of a target this commemoration was to any villain with terrible intentions.

Luckily, there didn't seem to be any throughout the ceremony; a wonderful rarity.

As the festivities ended, Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, and Frozone invited the rest of the supers that could come to a little bit of celebrating of their own later that night, within the supers' favorite hangout, a little restaurant known as Salvation Cafe. Originally, it had been known as The Vintage Spice but had changed its name when supers had given it special interest and kept the family-owned restaurant from going out of business. The food and beverages were now primarily hero-based, with each one named after the hero who enjoyed the meal and/or drinks the most. The owners had even specially built the supers their very own dining spot within its walls where only super-powered individuals could eat. That decision caused a mixture of reactions from the more normal customers. However, the supers couldn't seem to be bothered about any roiled citizens that night, as they feasted over their friend's achievement.

"So, when am I getting my key?" Frozone elbowed his longtime friend and ally in the side, causing Mr. Incredible to nearly choke on his prime ribs in surprise.

"Well, I don't know… have you stopped any buildings from falling on top of the mayor's daughter recently?" The man in black and blue smirked at his ice-themed companion as he pretended to pout.

"Shoot, I haven't. Guess I just got to wait for the next one."

They laughed before both were slapped by two stretched and pliable hands. Frozone hissed in pain, while Mr. Incredible merely grunted.

"Will you two grow up? A building falling on a helpless NSI is nothing to be joked about." Elastigirl, and the love of Mr. Incredible's life, frowned in disappointment at them. "You'd think I wouldn't have to tell you these things anymore, with how long we've been doing this."

"Aw, honey, you know we meant nothing by it! There's no harm if it's not going to happen again, right?" His eyes narrowed. "It better not happen again. Who the heck decides to hang out in a clearly unstable building complex?"

"At least it wasn't on fire!" Fironic butted in, guffawing; his mouth was still full of Fiery Wings, which caused Gazerbeam sitting right next to him to wrinkle his nose.

"You're disgusting, why do I see you as my best friend again?"

"Because you love me?"

"That is incorrect." Gazerbeam rolled his eyes and tried to keep a straight face as his close friend purposely stared at the side of his face with a puppy dog expression. The normally stoic man couldn't keep it up for even a minute before he had to hide a smile behind his hand.

"I saw that, brother." Fironic grinned triumphantly, which caused his friend to slap him upside the head. "YOUCH, HEY!"

"Quit being a nuisance."

"But nuisance is my middle name."

"I thought your middle name was Leland?" Frozone leaned back in his chair with a cool grin that didn't once melt even while being seared by Fironic's heated glare.

"Haha, what? Your middle name's Leland?" Mr. Incredible's shoulders shook as he tried to keep his mirth under control, feeling a little bad about finding amusement in his flaming ally's embarrassment.

"You agreed to _never _bring that up, Snowcone."

"No, _you_ agreed, Firebug."

"Ladies, ladies, you're both pretty." Elastigirl sighed. "Let's please keep our heads. I don't want to be kicked out because you all decided to be pig-headed morons, again."

"You tell him, sister!" Plasmabolt high-fived her fellow super gal and both the girls grinned at the wounded egos of the men. "Hey, I'm gonna get me one of those Plasma Shakes they serve here, would you like to join me?"

"Y'know, I've been hankering for an Elasti-smoothie, myself."

The two ladies made their way to the counter, arm-in-arm, leaving the men to continue their sulking. They sat on the swivel stools as they waited for their beverages.

"So, anything exciting within the lives of Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl besides today's event?" Plasmabolt tilted her head with a smirk at her fellow super. They weren't the closest of friends, but there was something about extreme situations that bonded people together. There was probably not a tighter-knit group of individuals like superheroes, except for maybe those in the army; in the end, all served to fight for the people they love.

"Why, it just so happens that there _is_ something else to celebrate besides some overly-glorified paperweight." Elastigirl mirrored her fellow super-gal's expression. "But Bob and I will be announcing it very soon, so I promise you won't have to wait too long."

"Geez, I hope so, it's not exactly every day that a super -let alone two!- actually manage to stay in a romantic relationship for as long as you have." The woman gushed. "It's like you two were made for each other!"

"To be reasonable, every relationship has their ups and downs. It's just that Bob and I have managed to learn how to make it work."

"Remind me to ask you for dating advice when I've snatched myself a man."

Both girls' attention turned onto a counter worker for a moment as they grabbed their sought for beverages and thanked the staff member. They turned to make their way back, but before Elastigirl could make a step her eyes caught sight of a _very familiar_ little troublesome boy. She sighed exasperatedly even though a smile came onto her lips.

"Hey, I'll catch up with you in a second, Plas. You can go and head back without me, I need to go use the ladies room."

"Oh, not a problem." The other super smiled. "You and your man better bring up your "surprise news" when you get back to the party." The costumed woman shook a finger at her flexible friend and walked back to the rest of their group. Elastigirl set her sights back to Mr. Incredible's number one fan. The boy was trying to sneakily move closer to the super-powered group of individuals and would have probably succeeded if she and Plasmabolt hadn't gone up to get their drinks.

Elastigirl silently walked up behind his current "hiding spot" and knelt, leaning close to his ear.

"What are you doing?" Her whisper did the trick and caused the boy to jump with a gasp. He quickly swiveled around and settled into a poor fighting stance. The woman chuckled and slowly stood up, with her arms up. "At ease there, slick. I mean no harm."

"E- Elastigirl! Uh, _nothing._" The boy's eyes widened in his makeshift domino mask. He wore a costume that was white and blue and clearly homemade. The little "i" on the left side of his chest gave a clear indication of what the boy was attempting. Elastigirl hated to ruin the poor little guy's night, but she knew her soon-to-be would never allow him to fight crime.

"Buddy, right? Look, I hate to break it to you, but Mr. Incredible isn't one for sidekicks and-" She stopped short and narrowed her eyes at the boy's hair. "Wait, I could have sworn you were a redhead."

"I, uh, I am. I-I dyed it -but that's not the point. _I can do it! _I can be a sidekick." Buddy pleaded to the woman. Her response was to gently grab his arm and walk him out. He gestured to the strange metal boots on his feet. "Look! I _made_ these. They're rocket boots, I can fly with these. Tested and everything!"

"That's great, kid, but that still doesn't mean Incredible's going to take you under his wing." Elastigirl felt bad as she gazed at the honestly adorable little face. She vaguely wondered if she and Bob would ever have a boy. "Have you tried to gain the attention of any other super?"

"Nope." The blond-dyed boy's cheeks puffed out a bit. "I don't _want _anybody else to mentor me, just Mr. Incredible."

The woman sighed as she led them through the front door of the restaurant. Once fully outside she knelt back down and smoothed back some straying strands of hair out of the boy's unhappy face.

"May I ask why you want _Mr. Incredible,_ of all heroes, to be the one to train you?"

"Not _train _me, I know all his moves!" The little genius made some cute karate chops in the air and it took everything in Elastigirl to not squeeze him up in a hug. "I just need, like, a guide. Someone to show me the ropes. He'll hardly notice I'm there."

That was hard for the woman to believe. Little Buddy not loud, boisterous, and heavily opinionated? She had only met him a few times before and each time showed how excitable the boy was. He was like a cup of coffee; it took some getting used to, but in the end was well worth the adjustment. If only Bob took the time, maybe he _would _bring the boy in. She'd have to talk to her man later.

"Not tonight okay, Buddy?" She patted his shoulder.

"What? But-"

"No, "buts". I think it may very well be passed your bedtime." She stood up. "Would you like me to escort you home?"

"Oh, uh, _no._ No, I'm good, thanks." The boy let out a nervous chuckle and took a couple steps back. Elastigirl raised an eyebrow and surveyed the street. It was dark with the moon shining overhead and the lights of the city blocking the stars, casting strange dark shadows in various places.

"I don't think I'd feel very comfortable allowing you to walk on your own out here."

"Then it's a good thing I won't be. Rocket boots, remember?" He skipped a couple paces away and jumped up for a bit of a boost to his liftoff. He twisted around and gave a smirk at the dumbfounded look on the super's face. "Pretty cool, right?"

"_Very_ cool. See you later, kid." Elastigirl crossed her arms and huddled a bit against the night's cold breeze, wondering how Buddy could possibly be warm with only a short-sleeved T-shirt, little cape, and shorts. She waited until she could no longer see the light from the bottom of his boots and walked back inside. There was a wedding to be announced and invitations to pass out.

* * *

"LOOK OUT!"

Mr. Incredible looked up, shocked, and watched as ice covered up a huge piece of falling building. His best friend and ally, Frozone, slid passed on a trail of ice with a mock salute. The burly man grinned and went back to beating his way through the throng of monsters known as unmeltables; they were made of ice cream by a freak accident during an unauthorized experiment by their leader and creator, Brainfreezer. Brainfreezer, herself, was changed by the accident and has since been a threat to the good citizens of Metroville.

Although considering the numbers of the sugar creatures, there was no longer the excuse of the villain making them accidentally. In fact, the machine creating them was exactly what Mr. Incredible was trying to reach.

A crazed cackle threw the broad-shouldered hero off his objective and he turned to witness Brainfreezer slingshot herself at him. He tensed, ready for impact, when another pliable form bashed into the icy villain, making her careen haphazardly off course with a cry.

"Elastigirl!" Mr. Incredible breathed, relieved. It wasn't that he couldn't handle the gelato themed criminal, he just didn't have the time to mess around with her. Not when there was a bomb about to go off in less than three minutes. "I've never been so glad to see you."

"Really? Of all the time we spent together, _this _is when you're most glad to see me?" The young woman haughtily raised an eyebrow, as the two supers went back to pummeling the unceasing wave of ice cream monsters. Between the two, it took much less time for them to make it to the unmeltable machine and destroy it.

"Well, you know what they say, "Dangerous situations make the heart grow fonder"."

"That is _definitely _not how the saying goes."

They took advantage of the small reprieve to gaze lovingly into each other's eyes, despite the situation.

"Are you two lovebirds done? Cause we're about to be confetti if we don't get a move on!" Frozone broke their moment and all three made swift work of the rest of Brainfreezer's minions, quickly making their way to the bomb.

Mr. Incredible ripped a panel off of the oversized explosive and Frozone reached out to disarm it; before he could, a melting yet firm hand grabbed a hold of his wrist. Both Elastigirl and Mr. Incredible took a step back in astonishment as Brainfreezer yanked their frozen friend toward her, roughly seizing his face between her fingers.

"Not so fast. You so much as _blink_ wrong and I'll convert him!" One of the attributes of Brainfreezer, that made her so dangerous, was that she could transmogrify people into temporary, brainwashed unmeltables with skin-to-skin contact at will. It was normally easier for the criminal to just make the simple-minded creatures rather than go through the trouble of "unmeltafying" an individual; although, it didn't mean that she didn't regularly go around and cause havoc by transforming loved ones into monsters.

The bomb read :50 seconds left.

"Let him go." Mr. Incredible gritted his teeth, fists clenching.

:47

"If I do that, you'll ruin my day."

The superhero couple stood by uneasily as they tried to figure out a way to win this. Brainfreezer merely laughed in the face of the dangerous situation.

:44

"If you don't, we'll _all _be done for! Do you really want to die this way?!" Mr. Incredible's voice was laced with desperation, eyes flitting between his best friend, the villain that held him, the love of his life, and the ever-dwindling red digits.

:41

"Bold of you to presume that _this _will kill me." The gelato woman snorted and rolled her unnaturally glowing eyes. "I'm made of _ice cream_. Sure, I'll be splattered uncomfortably, but I'll reform back. It'll be _you_ who won't make it. And let's be honest, everyone would be all the better for it."

:38

The criminal caught sight of the news helicopter no doubt recording the situation.

"DON'T YOU ALL SEE?" The wrongdoer called out to the flying vehicle, gesturing to the carnage that the heroes left in their wake. "THEY DESTROY MORE THAN THEY HELP. THEY SMASH, THEY HARM, JUST AS MUCH AS ANY "_VILLAIN"_; EXCEPT THEY DO IT IN THE NAME OF "PROTECTION"."

:33

"What are you doing?!" Elastigirl hissed, unconsciously taking a step forward. The action caused Brainfreeze to tighten her grip painfully on Frozone's face, making him cry out in pain.

:30

"TIMES GROW HARDER, MONEY TIGHTER, AND WHERE DOES YOUR TAX MONEY GO? TO A LITTLE, UNKNOWN GOVERNMENT AGENCY MADE SPECIFICALLY TO _COVER UP _A WHOLE ASSORTMENT OF UNFAVORABLE ACTIONS AND SITUATIONS CAUSED BY OUR DEAR _HEROES." _The villainess sneered at her foes. "THEY'RE NOT NEARLY AS "SUPER" AS PEOPLE ARE MADE TO BELIEVE."

"_Where did she learn of this? How does she know?" _The flexible hero whispered harshly to her fiance. Her man didn't respond, eyes still darting between all people and the bomb involved. He was thinking hard about the situation.

There _had _to be a way to stop this.

:25

Bob caught sight of light flashing in the corner of his eye, his head turning to pinpoint the disturbance. A laser beam cut through the group and expertly hit the gelato villainess. She flew back with a screech.

:22

Frozone wasted no time in throwing himself at the explosive, quickly getting to work at defusing it. His hands shook and his breath quick, but he didn't allow his unease to get the best of him.

:19

Elastigirl and Mr. Incredible chased down where they believed they saw Brainfreezer land. They looked in between and under debris and abandoned cars. They moved rubble and searched everywhere they could think of but to no avail. It wasn't until Mr. Incredible took notice of a small trail of ice cream leading into the gutter that he realized they were too late to nab her.

:15

Gazerbeam and the rest of the Thrilling Three came up to Frozone from behind, trying to help in any way they could. The ice-based hero felt a little more at ease with the extra hands and wasted no time to give directions.

The superhero couple came up to join the rest, shaking their heads when Apogee inquired about the villain. Elastigirl was still troubled about Brainfreezer's words. She had spoken about the NSA; a program that _very_ little knew about. The fact that a _criminal_ knew about it was disconcerting.

With the extra support, Frozone managed to stop the bomb with :08 seconds to spare.

"Today was a _long day._" Bob flopped face-first onto the couch as Lucius closed the door to their shared apartment.

"You can say that again."

"Today was a _long day."_

The slimmer man chuckled and threw himself unceremoniously onto the armchair next to the couch. Thoughts of how he had been almost turned into _ice cream_ swirled around in his mind. Another day in the life of a super.

"We are _so_ lucky that the NSA contacted the Thrilling Three to back us up." A groan was the ice man's only response. "Speaking of, how did _Shelly Sundae -_of all people- know about the NSA? What's up with _that?_"

Another groan, this time longer.

"...You think there's a mole?" Lucius lazily watched his best friend twist around to lay on his back.

"I hope not. That would be really bad."

"Yeah."

The air was still and a sense of calm overtook the room as they delved into their own minds. The only sound was of their breathing.

Lucius allowed his gaze to wonder over the TV set that sat in front of them, to the various photos hung in frames on the walls, and finally to the attached kitchen that was honestly a mess.

"We should really clean up our kitchen."

Bob hummed and the slimmer man's gaze slipped back onto him.

"You think you should postpone the wedding?"

"What?" The burly man lifted his head and gave his closest friend a confuddled expression. "Postpone? No, of course not! Why would I?"

"Well, if there's a chance that someone is letting out info on the NSA, who's to say they're not letting slip our own personal info?"

"That's only _if_ there's a mole. We still don't know exactly what's going on and we should check in before we make any hasty decisions."

"Sorry, you're right." The slimmer man sighed. "I'm still a bit shaken after what happened."

"I'd be too if I was threatened to be turned into a dairy product."

For some reason that comment caused both of them to burst out laughing. Calming down, anxious energy filled the room.

"You know what's really bothering me, Lucius?"

"What?"

"Why did _Brainfreezer _have a bomb? She wants to control people, not destroy them."

* * *

The weeks after Brainfreezer's "speech", tensions between supers and non-supers were at an all-time high. With the reveal of some "secret super organization", those that weren't overpowered protectors of justice and peace were understandably wary of those that were.

Robert Golden and Helen Truax walked hand and hand down the sidewalk, after having had such a wonderful lunch together. The day was sunny, with not a cloud in the sky, so they had decided to go ahead and enjoy the breeze.

At least they would have, if the mood hadn't been ruined by a group of angry anti-super activists screaming their hearts out at the mayoral building.

The couple stopped and took in the scene with frowns on their faces. If there weren't very many protestors and advocates against superheroes before, there definitely were now. How could these people not understand the trouble they would be putting themselves in? A world without supers meant a world overrun with _evil._

"NO MORE SUPERS! SUPERS GO HOME!" The crowd chanted, waving their fists and their signs.

"Bob, let's go enjoy ourselves in another part of the city. We don't need to see this right now; not with such a wonderful occasion like our wedding around the corner." Helen rugged at her fiancé's arm. He stood still like a rock, glaring disappointedly at the crowd. Another tug and he allowed himself to be moved.

"I don't get it. Why now? Why are they suddenly against us -_supers_, now?" He ran a hand through his hair and glanced down at his lady. She smiled sullenly and rested her head on his arm. "We've been saving them for _generations._ Why start doubting? I mean, _yes_, there are supers who aren't the best; they're human too! Why do we have to be perfect? We can't be perfect!"

The to-go cup that was in his hand, the one that wasn't holding his woman's, went flying in his rant. It flew into the alley they were walking past and slammed into a lonely dumpster. The liquid within splattered all over its side with a surprisingly loud bang. They winced and, before they could react, the lid to the dumpster flew open.

"'EY, WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?!" A boy of about eight popped his head out with a frown, looking from to side to side. A comically big gas mask was situated precariously over his face. He removed the mask and the two supers' eyes widened in surprise.

"What are you doing in a dumpster, Buddy?" Bob asked before he could even stop himself. He held his breath in horror. Had he just revealed his _secret identity_?

The boy's eyes narrowed as he switched his focus between the two, before settling on Bob.

"How the heck do you know my name?"

Bob stuttered and Helen bit her lip. Buddy didn't change his expression until it suddenly lit up and he laughed.

"Ah, I'm just joking with you, mister! How could you have possibly known my name is the exact same as a friendly greeting?" The boy expertly hopped out of the oversized trash can, which suggested a familiarity with dumpster diving, and happily walked up to greet them. He raised up his hand for a shake. "The name's Buddy Pine, pleased to meet you."

"Do your parents know that you're swimming in the garbage and talking to strangers?" Helen raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sure they won't mind." An emotion that the woman couldn't quite place flashed briefly across the boy's face before it settled into a more cooled expression.

Something tightened in her chest. Worry? Distress?

She pinched his smelly hand between two fingers, giving it a light shake. He gently wrenched it away in embarrassment.

"I'm Bob and this is my fiancé, Helen. Nice to meet you kid." The burly man wrapped an arm around his lady and gave the young boy a kind, if tired, smile. His gaze then wondered behind Buddy; more specifically, the wagon of scrap metal and broken appliances right in front of the dumpster. "So… what exactly _were_ you dumpster diving for?"

"Good question!" The boy's eyes lit up and he swiftly grabbed the handle of the wagon, making his way down the street. The couple followed him, not liking the thought of their little fan being alone in such a big city. "Y'see, I like to invent things that are mostly mechanical in nature."

"Oh, yeah?" Bob raised an eyebrow, unusually interested in what Buddy had to say. The interest came with the startling realization that he didn't know very much about the kid, despite having known him for a couple years now. The hero also became aware that the few times he _had_ inquired more about the boy, Buddy had always managed to quickly change the subject.

The man frowned. It seemed his number one fan had an easier time talking about himself to someone he believed to be a complete stranger, than his beloved superhero. Perhaps after the wedding, he'd focus a bit more on remedying that.

"Yep! Lately, I've been working on a _secret project _of mine. Although normally I just upgrade the different appliances where I live."

"Secret project, huh?" Helen smiled down at the gleeful bright blue eyes that stared up at her as the boy nodded. She hoped he wasn't going to get into too much trouble; Buddy was like a magnet for it. "Would you be willing to let us in on it?"

"Nope! Sorry, that's classified information." The little genius chuckled. "But I'm sure you'll be seeing it on the front page sometime soon."

"You're very confident in your work, for being so young." The burly man teased, unconsciously ruffling the boy's hair before jolting his hand away. Drat! He shouldn't be acting so _chummy_ with a boy he technically barely knew. It was so hard though, it was _Buddy._ Sure, he normally acted like he barely knew the eight-year-old whenever he was suited up, for the sake of the other kids and the boy's own safety, but Buddy had been a constant in Mr. Incredible's life since the boy had first laid eyes on his favorite super in person; down at the small, hidden away comic book store across the way from the old ice cream parlor Bob used to hang around in his high school years.

"Just because I haven't lived as long, doesn't mean I _can't _make something worth noting to the city. Besides, it's going to be more than just my new invention they'll be talking about." The little blond-dyed genius reasoned. "I'd go into more specifics, but then that'd be telling."

"Alright, alright, fair enou-" Bob nearly ran into the wagon, when it abruptly stopped. The small group had stopped at yet another alleyway. Within the narrow walkway between buildings was another dumpster, with some pieces of metal sticking out the front.

Buddy adjusted his gloves and was about to reapply his gas mask when Helen gently grabbed a hold of the headwear.

"Look, you don't need to go dumpster diving for trash, sweetie. If you want, Bob and I are more than happy to take you around to some shops and see if they have any metal scraps for sale. Right, honey?" The young woman glanced over to her soon-to-be.

"Right, of cou- Wait, we are?" Bob stared wide-eyed at his lady, who gave him a forceful nod. "Uh, yes! Yes, we are."

Buddy looked between the two with a rather strange look on his face, which concerned the two adults.

"You alright there, kid?" The boy's secret favorite hero burrowed his eyebrows.

"Yeah…" The little genius tilted his head. "You just seem _really _familiar."

The couple exchanged glances, uneasily. If anybody could figure them out, it _would_ be Buddy. Thankfully, the boy didn't seem too interested in thinking hard about it. Instead, he gave them an uncertain expression.

"Are you _sure_ you'd be willing to help me like that? Cause I don't really have much that I can pay you back with and-"

"You don't have to worry about anything like that!" Helen knelt down with a small, comforting smile. She brushed some of his disordered hair back behind an ear. "We are more than happy to support your, uh, invention."

Buddy stared at the woman with an almost disbelieving face. Somebody… wanted to _help _him?

Before either of the adults could react, the boy latched himself around the woman in a tight hug. He briefly burrowed his face into the collar of her shirt, enjoying the moment, before releasing; ending the hug as quickly as he started it. Buddy twisted around so that his back was facing them.

He didn't want them to see the few tears that slipped out of his eyes.

"I-I'd really like that a lot."

* * *

**A/N: **Hello, hello! This is my first Incredibles fanfiction and I am very excited. I was very late to the party and have only _just recently_ watched the sequel. It was both great and not so great. Very conflicting, I know, but… it just didn't meet all my expectations. Inc 2 was good as a movie overall, but kind of failed as a sequel. There were also some plot points that were unnecessary and some that could have been thought out better. The action sequences were great, though.

The Incredibles 2's flaws, though, were the inspiration for this fanfic.

Another inspiration was that one Youtube video called: "Rewriting Screenslaver - Incredibles 2" by Nando v Movies. Now, he had a second part in a different video about rewriting the finale, but I didn't really care for that one.

Then, my wish for at least a _bit bigger _reference for Syndrome was my third and last inspiration. Like, I don't know, shouldn't they be a bit less trusting to a rich person with an obsession with heroes (even though Winston is a real sweetheart)? Or having nightmares about nearly dying multiple times on an island filled with people wanting you dead, etc? Or… something. I don't know, maybe it's just me? I suppose you could say they still haven't fully registered the events, but it'd been a few month's right?

Continuing on, those three ideas kept swirling in my head (along with my own headcanons of the universe) and came to the intriguing idea of the Deavor siblings taking little Buddy under their wing and what differences to their universe would come from that. How would it affect all the characters?

Be aware that in this AU, the Deavor siblings lost their parents at a younger age due to a superhero-related accident (I haven't fully ironed out how yet).

**Optional Question(s):**

1\. What do you think Brainfreezer is up to?

2\. Who is your favorite character?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

**Answering Comments:**

**Guy (Guest): **Why thank you, I'm happy you are enjoying my story. I can only hope you continue to do so.

**Syndrome Fam (Guest): **It's warming to hear that you enjoy the way I write. Luckily, I plan to continue this story for as long as I can (Hopefully until it is completed). Thank you for your kind words!

**Mariogeek: **I know that I've already responded to your review, but I just had to thank you for such wonderful words yet again!

Thank you JannisBlues99 and Song of Shadow for favoriting/following my story.

**Disclaimer: **I do not, nor shall I ever, own The Incredibles franchise. I do not gain anything out of this.

* * *

"BENJAMIN BUDDY PINE! GET YOUR REAR DOWN HERE."

With a gasp, the boy jolted up. Trying to gain his bearings, he noticed that he'd fallen asleep at his desk again. Buddy wrinkled his nose at the drool he had gotten on his sketchy designs, unintentionally. He wiped his face with his arm and hopped off the stool he was sitting on.

"BENJAMIN!"

"I'M COMING, I'M COMI— _woah!_" He nearly fell flat on his face, tripping on a screwdriver that was strewn on the floor. His room was particularly messy, filled with a whole assortment of tools, drawings, designs, and unfinished projects. It was especially filled with the recently acquired metal he had gained, thanks to the two nice strangers that had willingly bought some for him without a second thought. He still got a warm feeling in his chest when he thought about them.

It was too bad he'd probably never see them again.

The only things strictly clean in his personal area of living were the many collectibles and memorabilia of the multitude of different superheroes he adored; most especially, Mr. Incredible. Not to mention his Supersuit! It had a drawer specifically to itself; not that that was too hard to make work since he didn't really have many clothes, to begin with.

After struggling into a new change of clothes for the day and ensuring that his hair was presentable enough, he posed in front of the huge poster of his most favorite hero and then swiftly made his way out of the room. It wouldn't do well to keep Mrs. Iraida waiting any longer than she already had.

Walking into the corridor outside his room, Buddy almost immediately had to dodge out of the way of a couple of younger children that laughed and ran past him.

"Hey, you need to watch where you're going!" He glared at the group, but it didn't seem to phase them.

"Sorry, Buddy!" One of the little girl's giggled, lagging behind the others of her playgroup in order to give the older boy a smile. The little genius let up on his irritation, returning a small smile of his own.

"That's alright, Ava. Just be more careful."

"We will!" The girl ran back to join her playmates, leaving Buddy to stare after her.

"BENJAMIN, GET OVER HERE THIS INSTANT! YOU'RE LATE."

He jumped and nearly jogged in the direction of the voice. Late? Late for what?

Buddy thought hard about what he could possibly have to do for the day. Speaking of, what day _was_ it? Tuesday! It was Tuesday.

The boy groaned. He was supposed to help out with making breakfast, no wonder he was being yelled at.

He sped up just a little faster, skipping steps as he practically hopped down the set of stairs within the main lobby of the building he called home. Making his way to the kitchen, he slipped by a lady with a clipboard, who had gone up to answer the main doors.

Behind him, he could hear her say, "Welcome to Tranquil Waters Orphanage, I'll be your guide and help you on your quest to adopting the perfect child…"

Slipping through the door that led to the kitchen, he couldn't hear the rest of what was spoken; nor did he want to. He'd heard the spiel too many times to count. "Perfect child" seemed a little bit like false advertisement.

Rubber gloves were shoved into his face, as Mrs. Iraida noticed his presence. Her thin lips were pursed and the wrinkles on her face seemed more pronounced in her rankled expression.

"Young Mr. Pine, how nice of you to finally join us. Due to tardiness, you shall be stationed with the _dirty dishes." _

Wide-eyed, he slowly leaned around the caretaker's form; peering at the towering piles of gross, unwashed plates, bowls, and eating utensils. The other children assigned to the breakfast shift snickered.

"Can I at least get some breakfast befor—"

"NO! There is a select time for your group to eat before your morning duties." The woman sneered. "Perhaps if there are... _leftovers _after everyone has been fed, you may eat."

There were no leftovers.

Mrs. Iraida was especially generous that morning, allowing the orphanage to take seconds —_thirds_, even, if they so chose. He barely even got a sip of water, the older woman that was his age group's main caretaker made sure to keep him extremely busy until he barely had any time to get ready for school. Which left Buddy curled up into a ball in the bus on his way to elementary, holding onto his empty stomach. Nausea made him feel dizzy and ill.

It was just another typical day in the life of Buddy Pine.

School was as unchallenging as it normally was for the eight-year-old genius. It didn't help that he had been specifically told to try to stay within the capabilities of a regular boy his age by the orphanage; something about how it was too costly to deal with a child that was "too smart for his own good".

Buddy couldn't be too bothered by that at the moment, as he chowed down on a hot dog that he'd bought from one of the street vendors. The boy was on his way to his normal hang-out spot at a small little comic book store that was regularly visited by none other than, Mr. Incredible! What kid could possibly say they met their favorite super on almost a weekly basis? Not many.

He skidded around a corner and grinned upon seeing the back of a very familiar black and blue suit in front of the shop. Slowing down, he messed with his hair in an attempt to look presentable.

"Hey, Mr. Incredible!" He waved and tried to get the man's attention. The super twisted around in curiosity before a flash of recognition lit up his eyes.

"Oh, uh, hello there, Bart."

"It's Buddy."

"Oh, right! _Buddy,_ that— that's definitely what I meant." The burly man cringed, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck.

"That's okay, sir. I totally understand that you probably meet a lot of people and that it'd be hard to remember all of them."

'_None are as memorable as you, though.' _The hero thought, feeling a little bad for his continuous act of pretending to not know the child; it was for his own safety! A general unwritten rule of heroism was to keep civilians at arm's length. It made it hard when the civilian tried unceasingly to gain more attention. It felt less like he was holding the boy away and more so _pushing_ _him back._

Mr. Incredible turned back to signing the little booklet that he'd been given by an adorable little girl in pigtails, that shyly hid within the skirt of her amused mother. He was definitely aware of his number one fan walking up to stand by his side.

"Here you go, kiddo." He bent down and held out the tiny wire-bound notebook back to the girl, who, after a brief bout of courage, quickly snatched the item with a grin that showed a missing front tooth. She was speedily planted her face back into the skirt.

The adults chuckled and the mother thanked the hero, before moving on.

The broad-shouldered man refocused his attention on the boy next to him, who seemed content for the moment to just stare happily after the girl and her mom. The moment was very short-lived and, soon enough, bright electric blue eyes were staring up at him with a gaze filled in awe.

"So, I read up on your last altercation —y'know, with Brainfreezer? And—"

"Oh, boy. Here we go." Mr. Incredible muttered, rolling his eyes, making his way into the comic shop.

" —Hey, wait up! I-I wasn't finished!" The boy scurried quickly after the tall man, jumping up and down. Any onlookers would make the comparison that he looked like a chihuahua yapping away at a golden retriever. The hero's uninterest didn't seem to deter the eight-year-old and he happily jabbered on about the recent fights and other things the super had done.

The owner of the shop, who was sitting at the register, laughed quietly at the sight of the two walking in. The man had always found it a blast when they were present; their odd dynamic always gave a little life to the otherwise calm and quiet comic store.

It helped that the presence of such a well known super boosted up how much he sold, despite never advertising the hero's presence.

"Good evening, Mr. Lee!" Buddy called out in between his endless verbal tirade at his hero.

"And a hello to you, Buddy." The store owner gave a small wave, before returning most of his attention back on the comic issue he'd been reading. "Oh, by the way. I saved you some of the latest issues from your favorite comic series. Just came in two days ago. They're waiting in the back for when you're ready to leave."

"Gee, thanks!" The little genius' face lit up.

"It's not a problem, little tyke."

Mr. Incredible watched the interaction with hidden fondness, as he sat down on one of the few bean bag chairs situated in a corner of the room; it was the area where kids could sit down at to read a comic issue or for parents to sit and converse while their children roamed the shelves.

It was always nice to see normal individuals show kindness to each other in little ways like these. It reminded him of what he fought and stood for.

Buddy came up and practically leaped into the bean bag next to his hero, quick to begin talking about anything and everything he could think up of. A couple of hours later and his almost one-sided discussion fell onto the two strangers that went out of their way to be nice to him.

" —and next thing I know, there's this _loud _crash!"

"Uh-huh, uh-huh… that's nice." The meta-strong man was currently trying to figure out the correct word to the crossword puzzle in one of the newspapers that were sat to the side, on a lamp-desk.

"So, naturally, I peeked out of my hiding spot to yell at whoever did it."

"... Good, good."

"The people I yelled at were this _really _nice couple, named Bob and Helen!"

"Huh… Bob and Helen. Sounds a lot like…" _him and his girl. _The hero sat up, suddenly very aware of what Buddy was talking about. His heartbeat sped up; did the boy figure it out?

Buddy was unaware of the super's alarm.

"Yeah, so, they were honestly really swell and even bought me a _whole bunch _of metal scraps for my future inventions! Isn't that great?" The boy grinned up at his hero.

"I— yeah! That sounds amazing." The man breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed back into his beanbag. "That was a very nice thing for them to do."

"Yeah." The little genius looked down to his hands that he folded into his lap, twiddling his thumbs. He bit his lip.

"Something the matter, kid?" The man shifted himself so that he was better facing his number one fan.

"Well, no. Not really, just…" _not very many people would go out of there way to help an annoying, little orphan like him. _

Buddy raised his gaze back to Mr. Incredible, an unusual seriousness on his face. Shivers ran down the burly man's back, he'd never seen the boy with such an expression.

Then Buddy was back to his cheerful self as if nothing had ever happened.

"... Just that they, uh, reminded me of… of being _nice_ and, and…" The boy knew he wasn't going to be able to get out of his slip up. If the super's stern look was any indication.

"Kid…"

"Oh, wow! Look at the time, I-I've really got to go..." The boy sprung up and inched his way to the entrance. He couldn't let Mr. Incredible know about his lack of family. If his hero knew, then the man would realize how worthless he really was. After all, no one _else_ wanted anything to do with him. If _Mr. Incredible _disregarded him like the rest, he- he didn't know what he'd do. He definitely wouldn't be cut out for being a hero, that was for sure.

He also most definitely couldn't reveal being an orphan, until he knew for _certain_ that Mr. Incredible wanted to keep him. He had a plan! He couldn't deviate from the plan.

"Buddy." The man stood up, unconsciously reaching out to the panicking child in concern. The boy backed up a little faster and was out the door before the super could even think about stopping him.

Mr. Incredible, against his better judgment, let him go. He had a wedding that night and still needed to get a couple of hours of patrolling in, for the NSA.

The entryway doors to the orphanage flew open, slamming into the walls beside them, as a small blond-dyed haired boy rushed his way in. Some startled staff and families watched the boy make his way up the steps, wide-eyed. One of the staff members shook their head and glared up at the retreating boy's back.

"Benjamin, don't run in the orphanage!"

The voice was left unheard by the little genius, who had run from the prying view of those in the main lobby. The boy, as quickly as he could, ran for his room; his footsteps loud, as he rushed across the wooden flooring.

Once his door was slammed and locked, he slid his back down the door. He wrapped his arms around his knees and buried his face into them, breathing heavily.

He had run from Mr. Incredible.

He _ran_ from his superhero.

He was an idiot.

What had he been thinking, slipping up like that?! Now his hero probably thought he was a coward. Did he ruin his chances of becoming a sidekick?

He hoped not.

The boy let out a groan, rolling his head up to lean against the door. His eyes caught sight of the various action figures, posters, other memorabilia, and his many, many invention ideas throughout his room. His eyes surveyed his stead, blankly analyzing every surface and object he could see. Electric blues gazed from one end of the room to the other, until they stilled on the little clothes drawer and the blocky rocket boots that sat beside it. His self-made super suit was in the upper left drawer.

The blond-dyed genius had originally been planning on taking it slowly. Merely gaining Mr. Incredible's attention while not in a too strenuous setting. Like that one little restaurant that all the heroes seemed to really enjoy. He would have succeeded too until Elastigirl caught him. She didn't even allow him to try!

Buddy supposed he couldn't blame her. They had been celebrating Mr. Incredible receiving the city key from the mayor and probably wouldn't have been too focused on a little boy in tights, trying to fit in with them.

Then he had planned on telling Mr. Incredible today, at the comic shop, full out. Trying to make it nonchalant. The boy would have told his hero about how he had tested out the rocket boots he'd made and, in his own suit, had gone out to do some good deeds for the city. Things like: helping that one mother, with three rowdy kids, place some groceries in her car, that one old lady from being hit by a flying frisbee in the park, or that man in the construction site from accidentally sawing off his hand.

That last one had been kind of his fault.

Buddy had been minding his own business, flying around to help those who needed it, when suddenly he'd been run into by a bird! The shock of the collision caused the little genius to temporarily lose control of his boots, falling from his admittedly high altitude. His screams were swallowed by the wind of his fall, his eyes watering, and he worked as quickly as he could to restart his boots. The ground grew closer and his panic worsened. It wasn't until last second that he'd managed to bring his boots online, but wasn't able to regain his control. However, instead of hitting the ground, Buddy had slammed his back against a wooden fence. His presence had startled a worker that wasn't all too far from him; when the boy had painfully regained his bearings, he immediately took notice that he had landed inside a construction site and of the slack-jawed man that wasn't paying attention to how close his saw-blade was to his fingers.

With a shout, the blond-dyed boy had sprung up and quickly made his way to the worker. He used his rocket boots to boost his speed and managed to switch off the dangerous tool, allowing the man time to jerk away with a cry. Buddy had sputtered out an apology and ran off, not wanting any confrontations as to why he was there.

The boy winced, as the memory surfaced. It would have probably been a bad idea mentioning that.

It still begged the question: should he continue with slowly hinting at it? Or was his mistake big enough, that he needed to speed it up? His plan was too crucial to let it fall apart! His literal _future_ was at stake.

He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed at them. Maybe something drastic was in order? Some way he could _show_ his hero that he had what it took.

He focused back on his clothes drawer.

Mr. Incredible normally did patrols in the evening, didn't he?

Hope filled him as a new idea entered his head. Perhaps if he convinced the superhero to allow him to help patrol, he'd be able to prove in person that he would make a fantastic sidekick! That he could _help _and _make a difference._

He could probably even get Mr. Incredible to forget what had happened at the comic book store!

He shot up and over to the dresser, spirits renewed. With practiced ease, he brought out his homemade super-suit and put it on; he nearly tripped on the measuring tape that he'd left not too far away from his full-length mirror. He used said mirror to admire his reflection, standing proudly with both hands on his hips. The boy fixed a stray strand of blond-dyed hair and moved to strap on his rocket boots.

"Well… here I go." Sucking in a deep breath, the boy made his way over to his room's only window. He slid up the glass and climbed through, one leg after another. He used his boots to gently bring himself down onto the ground from the two-story height and landed within the extremely narrow alleyway just outside his room.

The boy ran off into the waning rays of the end of the day, unaware of the quiet knock on his door.

"Buddy?" A little girl, of about five, slightly opened the door to Buddy's room and poked her head in. It was the same girl that had taken the time to apologize earlier, after nearly running into the older boy.

The room was bare and, with a frown, Ava slipped inside and closed the door behind her. She decided to lay down on the bed and wait for the boy she considered a brother; she wanted to comfort him like he had many, many times before.

Without her consent, her eyes slowly closed and she fell asleep.

* * *

**A/N: **Here we go, some progress into the movie! I won't be writing out the "Glory Days" scenes. We have the movie and I haven't made any changes; it still goes the exact same way. Next chapter shall be the aftermath, however (Prepare for some angst). Also, next chapter we'll finally be introduced to my AU's Evelyn with a hint of Winston! So exciting!

I hope the inclusion of my little OC Ava isn't too much? I normally only bring OCs in when they serve a purpose, and she will. She has her own little character arc to fulfill that should compliment Buddy's own. She _is _one of his support characters and going to be one of his two reminders/last connections to his humble beginnings in Tranquil Waters Orphanage. She won't be a main focus though!

There will be other OCs coming and going too in the future chapters, to help the story feel more full of life and people.

I also hope you don't mind the inclusion of my headcanon that Buddy is his middle name and not his first name. For some reason, I think it's cute calling him Benjamin.

**Optional Question(s):**

1\. Do you have any Incredibles OCs?

2\. Did I do justice in writing a fictional orphanage? I was having a hard time finding any good references and decided to write what felt right.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

**Answering Comments:**

**Hey Syndrome Fan (Guest): **It brings me much joy to know you are enjoying my story so far! There will be a very decent amount of angst, especially once we get to an older Buddy. I feel that Buddy and Evelyn would be a combination that would perhaps feed on each other's doubt and insecurities; it is probably going to be both intriguing and frustrating for me to write, haha. Poor Winston is going to have to deal with two temperamental and stubborn fools.

**ReaderFreak5000: **I'm am ecstatic in knowing that you find my story so delightful.

I… actually hadn't been thinking about the Despicable Me orphanage lady at all, but since you have brought it to my attention, I definitely see the resemblance! And yes, I spell her name as Mrs. Iraida, because she is a rather _irate _character; see what I did there?

I, too, was unhappy with the lack of acknowledgment of Syndrome. Timeline-wise, it was only a _few months _after Inc 1 that the second movie takes place. Bringing in possible parallels and trauma from the island incident would have probably given more depth to the story. In my opinion, at least. And I am _so _convinced that that was his house! So convinced! They can't take that away from me!

Thank you so much for adding my story to your favs.

**Deavors (Guest): **It brings a smile to my face, knowing my story brings you such enthusiasm. And thank you, I try very hard to keep them in character while also giving them my own spin and headcanons.

**Mariogeek: **Ava, like the majority of my OCs, is a background character. The only time you will see read anything about her is if it pertains to the development of my version of Buddy, I assure you. Once Buddy is finally situated with the Deavors you will not read much -or any- of her until… around the first portion of my AU's version of the first movie?

I try very hard to keep all focus on the characters we know and love. Only necessity dictates my OCs.

And man, someone really needs to slap Mr. Incredible. He's losing quite the kid with his actions! Oh well, more for the Deavors!

You are the only person who caught on to the comic store owner being a Stan Lee reference! Great Job, seriously.

I also really hope you enjoy this chapter

Special thanks to **MajoraDreemurr52** and **ReaderFreak5000** for Following and Favoriting my story.

**Disclaimer: **I do not, nor shall I ever, own The Incredibles franchise. I do not gain anything out of this.

_Past/flashback_

"_Past/flashback speech" _

* * *

"_Fly home, Buddy. I work alone."_

"_...J-j-just give me a chance! I'll —I'll go get the police—"_

"—Buddy, _don't—"_

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

"—_It'll only take a second, really!"_

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

"_Stop!"_

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

"_Whoa, hey, you're wrecking my flight pattern—"_

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

"—_Kid, there's a bo—"_

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

"—_Let go of my cape—"_

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

"—_I'm trying to help!"_

_Disappointed and annoyed eyes gazed at him when he had returned with the police as promised. _

_Why did his hero not understand? He could do this. _

"_Take this one home. Make sure his mom knows what he's been doing." _

_What? No! Why was Mr. Incredible rejecting him? Was he really that awful to be around? He didn't even have a mom or a dad. They thought he was a burden too. _

"_I can help you, you're making a mist-agh, hey!" _

Shoved away both literally and metaphorically, caused a swell of uncomfortable feelings to pool into his gut. There was a sour taste in his mouth as Buddy absentmindedly swung his legs back and forth, sitting patiently on the chair where an officer had told him to stay put. He ignored the commotion of hard working law enforcement around him in favor of glaring holes into the floor; his hands were balled into fists and laying on his lap.

Vaguely he noted the officer that had brought him to the chair had finished phoning his contacts and was walking toward him.

The uniform man stopped in front of him, seemingly uncomfortable, and cleared his throat. Once gaining Buddy's attention, he made the effort to kneel down in front of the boy.

"So, uh, I called Tranquil Waters Orphanage—"

"—I know."

"Right. And they're sending someone to come pick you up. Will you be fine waiting here? Do you need anything? Snacks, water, or maybe some papers to draw on—"

"—I can take care of myself _just fine_, officer. I'm okay with waiting here." The man's mouth open and closed at the boy's response. He had a boy of his own and could clearly tell this one wasn't in the best of moods.

The officer gave a nod, stood up, and patted the boy's shoulder. To Buddy's confusion, the man had forgone his work and dragged his comfy swivel chair to sit right next to him. He had also snatched some pens and a decent pile of printer paper. The cop placed the items on the flat surface next to them and silently held one of the pens to Buddy.

When the boy had given him a questioning stare, instead of reaching out to grab the offered item, the policeman shrugged and set the pen down. He had begun making some random sketches on one of the papers.

"I've always found drawing to be an almost soothing hobby, when I'm feeling down. You can join me if you'd like." The cop was silent after his explanation and, after a minute, Buddy had joined him.

That was how the volunteer orphanage worker and her escort found the two; drawing while surrounded by a bunch of sketch filled papers.

Buddy waved goodbye to the nice policeman as he was pulled away by his hand, almost roughly. The volunteer wasn't at all happy for needing to come and retrieve the troublesome redhead. He absentmindedly remembered her name to be Cera; pronounced "Sarah", but spelled how you would in the middle of tri-_cera-_top, he recalled her explaining when introduced.

"This is the _fifth time_ I've had to come get you from the police precinct, Buddy. When will you learn that unruly little boys don't get adopted? If you were just a bit more obedient and calm, without any "accidental" explosions from your _experiments_ and running off to _who knows where _without telling anyone, you'd have probably been adopted out already. And what are you _wearing_? You weren't going around and pretending you were some "hero" again, were you?" The young woman huffed. "Why do you have to be such a burden?"

_Why do you have to be such a burden?_

Buddy's eyes stung and he ripped his hand out of her hold; hugging himself around the middle and pointedly looking away. He continued to trail silently behind Cera, as she focused her attention to talking to her police escort as they walked out of the building. The young boy took to sitting on the edge of the sidewalk a couple feet away from the discussing adults, not interested in what they had to say. Probably something along the lines of how _problematic _he was.

He didn't take notice when a woman, probably not too much older than Cera, had decided to take a seat next to him with a coffee in her hands.

"Y'know, I couldn't help but notice you're mopeyness and decided I'd be nice enough to cheer you up." Buddy jumped and stared wide-eyed at the lady. She didn't seem to take notice or care of his reaction and lazily gestured to the orphanage worker. "_Moms, _am I right? Can't live with 'em, yet ya' can't live without 'em." Buddy blinked.

"Oh, uh… she's not my mom." Wasn't there a warning about talking to strangers? He briefly thought about calling for Cera, but couldn't find himself to be outrightly intimidated by this random lady. She looked like a _mess_, though. With unkempt, short hair and dark bags surrounding her eyes; they honestly looked bruised. There was a familiarity to her though that Buddy couldn't seem to figure out.

"Okay. Older sister then?"

"Not really, no."

"... Babysitter?"

"Orphanage volunteer." The boy rolled his eyes away from the woman, not wanting to see the pity that was going to undoubtedly appear on her face.

"Tough luck, kid. My own parents were murdered when I was ten. How 'bout you?" The nonchalance caused the boy to peer back at her with incredulity. When he managed to lock eyes with the mysterious woman again, he realized the facáde. She was still pained by that, but she had learned to hide it. He relaxed.

"Mine didn't want me." There wasn't much more that he could say. He was dropped off like a bag of garbage to the nearest orphanage staff's arms back when he was practically a newborn. At least, that was the image he got when Director Chandler had told him; when he'd finally gained the courage to ask.

"Ouch."

They were silent for a while, retreating a bit into their own thoughts. The redhead had gone to distractedly clanking together his metal rocket boots, as his thoughts dragged lower and lower into his current issue. The boots gained his new companions attention.

"Those look pretty fancy. Did you make those?"

"Wha— what?" Buddy took notice of the lady's gaze on his boots. "I, uh, yeah… yeah I did."

"That's pretty impressive, kid. Bet you could get a pretty penny for something like that."

"Ha, no. These babies aren't, nor will they _ever be_, for sale." He shook his head almost violently and then glared at the woman. "These are my best inventions to date and I'm not about to let them go anytime soon."

"I see that." She raised an eyebrow, before looking past him and toward his current caretaker. The woman realized that the other lady had finally taken notice of her. "A bonafide inventor at the age of six—"

"—_eight—_"

"—and already has a multitude of inventions. You're quite the boy genius." She stood up and brushed off any dirt on her pants, getting ready to leave. "It was nice talking with you…"

"Buddy Pine."

"...I'm Evelyn. Evelyn Deavor. I'll be seeing you soon, Buddy."

"Bye…" He tilted his head as he watched the lady walked off, an almost awestruck look encompassing his face. Wasn't Evelyn Deavor the leading engineer and co-owner of DevTech? He'd just spoken with one of the most promising engineers of the century. She had _complimented his own engineering._ Maybe he wasn't nearly as much of a lost cause as everyone thought he was? As he was beginning to think he was.

* * *

Beams of light shined into the room from the rising morning sun, a boy of about eight ignored the ever brightening room in favor of staring blankly at the wall. His back was turned away from the window and he watched as his shadow moved slowly down the wall as time passed.

Last night was like a nightmare.

Honestly, he wished it had been one.

His limbs were heavy and his head, drowsy. Buddy felt like he could just lay there forever and no one would notice.

A sigh and movement from behind him caught his attention. Okay, maybe one would notice.

A little girl of five slowly sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She lazily gazed around the room, slowly re-gaining awareness of where she was. When her eyes landed on Buddy, her expression lit up.

"Buddy, you're back! Why are you dressed in your super-suit? Where did you go?" Ava flopped herself over his side with a happy giggle and tried to catch his gaze. The girl pouted when the older boy firmly kept his eyes hidden in his pillow.

"Go away, Ava. Now that you're awake you can _scram." _He growled out, his nose scrunched up and he tried to turn further away. The girl merely pushed her way more over his side, stubbornly. "Ava! Go. Away."

"No!" Her cheeks puffed out. Why wouldn't her big brother-figure tell her what was wrong? Just because she was _little_ didn't mean she couldn't help! "Tell me!"

The girl gasped when the older boy suddenly used his legs to push them off the side of the bed. When they landed on the hardwood floor, Buddy was quick to scoop the girl up in his arms and head to his door.

"Wait, Buddy no! I want to help! I want to— HEY." The little genius, not even affected by Ava's pleading, swiftly opened the door and flopped her unceremoniously onto the hallway floor and slammed the door shut.

"_Goodbye_, Ava." Were the muffled words the little girl heard through the door. She hopped up and stomped her foot, arms crossed over her chest.

"I am _not_ leaving until I help!" She gasped when she heard the click of the lock and began to bang a tiny fist on the door. "Let me in, Buddy! You can't hide in there _forever."_

"_Watch me."_

Her abuse on the door continued until another door in the hall was opened.

"Can you keep it down?! Some of us are trying to _sleep_." An annoyed girl hissed out; her hair was a rat's nest and her pajamas were wrinkled from obvious use. After a long glare at Ava, the rudely awakened older girl shut her door.

The little girl gave out one last, frustrated squeal and slid her back down the wall near Buddy's door.

"Well, don't think you've gotten rid of me _that _easy, Benjamin Pine! I'm going to wait here until you come out." She gave his door a rather nasty look, that only five-year-olds could accomplish, and settled in for her vigil.

Buddy, on the other side of the door, couldn't find himself to care at the moment. He flopped back onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling with a depressed frown.

Ava wouldn't be waiting there very long; either something would pique her interest and be swept away by her strong curiosity or one of her age group's caretakers would find her and drag her off. He predicted it would be the latter. It wasn't too hard for a caretaker, who worked here long enough, to figure out how much little Ava looked up to the boy genius.

Too bad not even she could lift up his spirits.

His eyes roamed around the room, finally allowing himself to acknowledge his collection. Each and every piece seemed to mock him. Last night he had been so livid that he had nearly tried to destroy it in a fit of rage. Upon realizing that Ava had fallen asleep in his room, he had forced himself to not follow his impulsive desire.

Now, he was sort of glad he didn't.

There was a lot of hard-to-get, expensive memorabilia he'd managed to acquire, that would only become more valuable as time went on; collector's items, most of which, he had been able to get through swindling or outwitting various others. If he saved his collection, he could probably sell those later to obtain whatever he needed in the future.

The boy snorted and rolled his eyes. What kind of eight-year-old was he? Thinking ahead for his own future?

_One that didn't have parents or an adult that cared enough to think of those things for him._

Biting his lip and trying to hold in his tears, Buddy turned away from the huge Mr. Incredibles poster that seemed like it was looking down on him. He was eight and _not _a baby. Only _babies _cried. He didn't cry.

Tears ran down his face anyways, as he struggled to hold in his sobs. His breath was ragged and he shoved his face into the pillow. Vaguely he could hear shuffles of movement outside the door and two voices mutely speaking to each other; one deeper and older, the other was clearly Ava's. A caretaker must have come and found her.

Buddy managed to tone down his shaky breathing and waited until the voices were long gone, down the hall. The silence that had now taken residence, only caused the words in his head to become louder.

_Why do you have to be such a burden?_

* * *

Nails tapped rhythmically, yet harshly, as steel blue eyes bore holes into the newspaper on the desk. A young woman with short, brown hair was seated at her desk, within a study room; it was filled with tools and blueprints, a bookcase filled to the brim, and wallpaper clippings of different accomplishments in frames on all the walls. On the desk was a various amount of mail, papers, and strewn writing utensils. It was the only thing currently messy in the area.

Suddenly, she slammed her fist against the desk and pushed away from the desk, allowing the wheels of her comfy chair to glide her away. Arms now crossed, she growled in frustration. The plan she made didn't exactly go as, well, _planned._

Sure, it still did the job. But had it gone the way it _should have_, the results would have been more… mind-changing.

Nothing in life ever seemed to go the way one would like it to.

She closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath; reacting in anger wouldn't help her get anywhere. She had been patient _this long_, what would be another month? Or another year?

She huffed. It would be agonizingly difficult. Patience was more of her brother's thing; the man could happily go on for _ages_, to wait for the next release of his latest _comic book_ or _superhero_ obsession.

_Superheroes._

She glared back down at the newspaper.

**BRAINFREEZER STILL AT LARGE.**

At least there seemed to be a bit of a negative tinge against supers in the front page news. Protests against them were louder than they've ever been and that thought, alone, seemed to ease the woman's irritation a little. A _little._

Steel blue locked onto the clock on the wall left of her.

2:59 pm

She stood up and made sure to securely lock any… discriminating evidence within the hidden floor safe against the wall behind her. She had a 3:30 meeting with some _hired help_.

The woman checked her desk once more, making certain she didn't miss anything. Her hand hesitated for a moment over a slip of paper with a phone number; _Tranquil Waters Orphanage_ was written over it in bold sharpie.

She moved on, snatching up the coat and purse hanging off her chair and left the room. Making her way through the house and to the front door, a voice halted her.

"Evelyn, there you are! You've finally crawled out of that _cave _you call a study. Look what I have!" An uncountable amount of papers stapled together were thrust into her face, the grin of her brother just behind them.

Evelyn made a disgruntled noise in the back of her throat and ripped the papers away, sticking her tongue out childishly. Her brother, teasingly, did the same. Most adults would be rather ashamed for acting that way, but not them. They saved "acting adult-like" for their business and official dealings.

"Let's see…" The woman raised an eyebrow and looked over the papers with humdrum. Her other eyebrow raised. "You bought a television studio? What —Winston why? We deal in radios and telephones."

Winston was hopping in place and shimmying his shoulders. He couldn't stop wiggling, he was so excited!

"I know, I know, but now we can finally start achieving dad's dream! Stories of adventure, good triumphing over evil. Cowboys, space explorers, heroes —anything you can think of, Ev—, coming to _life _before your very eyes!" He let out a gleeful laugh. "Wonderful, isn't it?"

Evelyn's unease must have been clear as day on her face, as her brother sobered up and gave his sibling a reassuring smile. He mistook it for worry about their business.

"Now, I know that television _isn't _exactly the most popular right now. However!" The business man took back the papers and flipped to a specific section. "I've done some research _and,_ as you can see on these charts I made, interest in television is only going to continue going up for many years to come."

"That's…" She wasn't sure how to respond, "...great. Really, honestly…"

Evelyn gave her brother what she hoped to be an authentic smile. It seemed to work as Winston embraced her before making his leave.

"Hate to jet so soon, sis, but work comes before play! I'll see you at dinner." With a wave, he turned around a corner and out of her sight.

She sighed after a moment and decided to set this new potential problem to the side; the inventor had to deal with another one first.

* * *

"You're late, as usual." Two glowing icy blue dots peered out at Evelyn from the darkness of the barely lit warehouse.

"I've always fancied being fashionably late." The inventor shook off her unease and gave her signature bored look. "It's better than not coming at all, I'm sure you would agree."

The woman lit the lantern she had brought with her and walked up to the glowing eyes, placing the light in the middle of a huge crate situated like a table. Her lantern revealed the owner of the glowing eyes, as well as another. The other person flinched at the light, his eyes had grown used to the darkness; he muttered in his foreign tongue and gave a glare at Evelyn.

"Oh, Voyage, I'm _sorry_. How _rude _of me to make you so… uncomfortable." Her words did not ring with credulity, which caused the Frenchman to sneer. It was hard for Evelyn to see him as intimidating in that stupid _mime_ makeup; the only reason he had her respect was for how long he'd managed to maintain his status as a top villain.

_"Vous ne seriez pas si irrespecteaux, si je decidais de réorganiser votre visage."_ The man spat out, readjusting the two straps of bombs crossing his chest.

Evelyn was sure he had just insulted her, but honestly had no clue or care to figure out what he said. She vaguely wondered why he chose to talk in his native tongue when he'd been living in the USA for _years_ and clearly understood and knew English.

"Sure, whatever you say." The inventor decided it didn't matter, he had played his part and now it was time to give him his reward.

She reached to her side where a suitcase filled with an assortment of parts for creating weapons, mostly bomb-related. The inventor grunted with the strength it took to lift it and place it onto their makeshift table.

"Your payment, as promised." Evelyn took the time to drag a smaller crate to use as a seat, as the others had. "Should you wish to continue with this partnership, you may stay. As usual, I would continue to pay you handsomely with whatever's left of your heart desires, for whatever other tasks I would give you. Other than that, you may go."

There was a look of consideration that passed over the Frenchman's face as he critically analyzed the woman in front of him. Continuing meant that he would be given even more specialized, hard-to-obtain components and even money. Normally, he wouldn't think twice about accepting invitations such as these; especially since the work she gave him were almost practically child's play. Cause a little havoc here, a little destruction over there, make a couple of different types of bombs, don't get _caught_, and then be rewarded.

There was just something about the woman, however, that just rang warning bells. His instincts had never failed him before. She held herself as if she held no care for anything and everything around her; detached. It wasn't uncommon among the villains. But having worked long enough around Evelyn Deavor had taught him that the facade of aloof hid an almost rabid and livid ire that screamed bad news.

Shelly Sundae could continue to take her chances with this woman, for all he cared, but he would take his leave while things were still good.

_"Je refuserai respectueusement, jeune fille, au revoir."_ He gave the women a bow and made his leave, suitcase in hand.

It wasn't until the door to the big building closed with a click, that the other villain finally stopped pretending to be interested in filing her nails.

"_Finally_. I thought he'd never leave. So, where's _my _payment?" Glowing icy blue resituated themselves onto Evelyn.

"Hold your horses, Brain Freeze, we'll get there soon enough." The inventor leaned her arms onto the table, giving her last cohort a sharp look. "We need to discuss your _failure_."

"Okay, first of all, it's _Brainfreezer_. Let's get that straight, Brain. Freezer. And what _exactly _did I do wrong? I did as you wanted! I caused unease, panic, and —best of all— an even bigger dislike of supers! That was the plan and I succeeded." The gelato woman crossed her arms with a frown and shifted uncomfortably on her makeshift seat, silently wishing there was a backrest.

"You _weren't _supposed to reveal our knowledge of the NSA just yet."

"Well, I had to improvise! They got to the bomb too quickly, I only had so much time left—"

"—I didn't ask for excuses, Sundae. I asked for _results._ Yes, I'll admit, you got them. Just not _how _I requested." Evelyn halted and waited for a response; whether it be more excuses for the villainess' major slip up or whining.

After a minute, the inventor decided to bring out the payment. It was a slip of paper with an address, nothing else.

"Hey, whoa, wait a minute. Where's the fifty grand you promised me?" Brainfreezer slammed a fist into the table-crate and causing it to crack. Evelyn merely rolled her eyes.

"You let the heroes know about our awareness of their little agency. You have the location of the second "Unmeltables" machine-maker I created for you, but I left off the money as _punishment._ Be lucky I didn't do anything more."

"YOU PROMISED ME FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS!" The villainess snarled and stood up, leaning over the inventor in an attempt to intimidate. The other only raised an eyebrow and continued as calmly as ever.

"No, I promised you a working Unmeltables-maker. I _said_ that I just might throw in fifty grand, should you impress me. Clearly, you did not."

Brainfreezer opened her mouth to argue but then thought better of it. A dangerous glint appeared in the other woman's eyes and, knowing what had happened last time she pushed it, the villainess slowly sat back down.

Taking the time to regather herself, the gelato woman inhaled and exhaled trying to slow the adrenaline that had coursed through her in her rage.

"Is there… anything else, Deavor?" The ice cream woman pretended to brush off some dust from her costumed attire.

"No, that is all for now. I will contact you again should I need you."

The clear dismissal stung at Brainfreezer's pride, but that didn't stop her from scurrying away quickly. Evelyn Deavor was devious when she felt enough conviction to be.

The door slammed shut.

Evelyn, now alone, closed her eyes and just _breathed._

_Villains._

* * *

"SUED?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M BEING SUED?!" Bob Golden's voice rang out throughout the office building of the National Supers Agency. His newlywed wife had taken a hold of his hand, her own face showed her displeasure.

"Exactly what I said, Bob." The agent on the other side of the desk sighed and ran a hand down his face. The three were discussing the bad news within his office, he had made sure to shut the blinds of the rather large window on the wall to the right of them. He shifted through the profile on his desk for the hundredth time, a habit to keep his hands busy. "The man you saved? Oliver Sansweet is suing you for… saving… him."

Their incredulous faces matched exactly what he was feeling.

"Can he _do _that?" Helen scoffed. "Surely they can't sue Mr. Incredible for— for _doing his job, _Rick."

"you're right, they can't. Not exactly." The agent frowned at the relief that overtook them, mistaking his response for a false alarm. "Since Brainfreezer's little speech, the public is now aware that the government partakes in super affairs more than they had originally realized. Since he cannot sue the superhero —due to your true identity being _hidden_— they are trying to sue the agency as a whole."

"But they don't know about the agency, not fully at least. Do we really have anything to worry about?" The burly man leaned forward, elbows perched on his upper legs and hands now clasped firmly together.

"Unfortunately he seems to be increasingly gaining the public's approval since, again, Brainfreezer. With the possibility of the government keeping secrets and supers working for said government, people are beginning to believe it may not be worth the risk of ridiculously powered individuals continuing with mostly unmonitored actions and decisions. It's honestly becoming less about Sansweet's unkenned sense of "justice" and more about how effective his actions will be."

The couple shared a glance, confused and worried.

"I'm not entirely certain we understand. What's going on?" Bob turned back to Rick. "I mean, supers have been around for _centuries_; why now?"

"It's not exactly a recent development. There have always been those against superheroes and their actions; some of them even becoming villain class criminals. With technology becoming more advanced and word being spread a lot quicker, it is becoming far easier for people to hear, and see in some cases, the more… _negative_ aspects of some heroes." Rick shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Gamma Jack being an example."

The two winced at his words and had to concede to that.

"With the news of a man boldly trying to take a stand against supers, it is bringing about some unpleasant stories and admittance of wrong-doings made by other heroes; events that most criminals would be tried for. It is causing turmoil within the masses, more so than anything before."

"But that _shouldn't _apply to me! It should apply to the heroes that actually did it. I meant well, I didn't want that man to die." Bob ran a hand through his hair, the situation was absolutely mind-boggling.

"We know, but people typically "group" those with similarities together, whether "good" or "bad". With our line of work, you should know." Helen rubbed a hand comfortingly up and down his upper arm.

"Yeah, I know." Her husband halted her comforting movements by placing his hand over her own. "He still doesn't actually know of the NSA. Does he even have a chance of succeeding?"

"If the situation continues to escalate the way it is… I wouldn't be surprised if the government relented and gave them the information they want; if only to save their own skins."

Neither Bob nor Helen knew what to say. They weren't exactly surprised either. Ever since the Cold War, the government had shown to be not nearly as "for the people" as previously believed.

"What about Brainfreezer? Does the agency have any clue as to _how _she gained a hold of that information?" The pliable woman crossed her arms, brows furrowed.

"Not yet. We're still trying our best to figure out if there are any possible… _traitors." _The idea that there was someone, maybe even more than one, that was willingly giving out their carefully guarded information was distressing. Hopefully, it wouldn't take too long to sort it out.

"I believe I've taken too much of your time." Rick decided that the Goldens had had enough _bad _news for the day. Their bleak attitudes were downright depressing and right after their wedding, too. "Congratulations on your recent union. Don't try to worry too much about the whole suing thing, right now; enjoy yourselves, you just got married! We're trying to do everything we can for you."

"Thank you, Rick." Helen gave the agent a small, yet genuine, smile as she guided her husband out of the room. Bob was too dazed with the troubling information they were just given.

"My pleasure, Helen."

* * *

"Well, that's the end of our honeymoon plans."

"_Bob._ You heard what Rick said—"

"—Don't worry about it, I _know_."

"Then _don't _worry about it." Helen placed a hand on her hip and gave her man an unamused glare.

"That is easier said than done." Bob sighed and fell back on their now shared bed.

The newlyweds had gone back to Helen's— _their_ apartment. They had decided to move into her apartment together and leave Bob's old apartment to Lucius; the scrawnier man had been ecstatic, claiming that he was happy he'd never have to, "_hear Bob's bear snores ever again". _Their best friend had also encouraged them, the next day, to visit as much as they could. Apparently, one night with an apartment to himself made him realize he _really_ enjoyed their company.

The two had laughed and promised to stop by the next time they could.

Bob twisted around the bed, trying to find a more comfortable position, and glared at the wall, grumbling to himself.

"_First Buddy and now THIS…"_

Helen blinked and twisted around from the closet, where she was trying to pick out her pajamas for the night. Buddy? What was Bob talking about?

"Honey…"

"Yes?"

"What was that about, Buddy? Did something happen to our little fan?" Her eyes narrowed when he tensed and turned around to fully face him.

"Yes —_no!— _maybe? I-I don't know." Suddenly the broad-shouldered man was pacing back and forth within the admittedly small room, making Helen feel the tiniest bit claustrophobic. "Look, one second I was _doing my job_ and then BAM! _He was there."_

"There? Where, Bob? You better not have been putting him in _danger_." Her man would be on _seriously _thin ice if he thought he could get away with putting his little redheaded number one into some serious trouble.

"It wasn't my fault!"

"Oh, really?"

"How was I supposed to know he'd follow me into the bank with Bomb Voyage—"

"—You let him near _Bomb Voyage_?! What were you thinking!" She stretched out and smacked him upside the head, before stalking over intimidatingly. The man winced, not out of pain but with alarm, as he backed up with every step his wife took. He hit the wall behind him. "You _weren't _thinking! Is Buddy hurt? Where is he now?"

"No, he's not hurt and I don't know!"

"Don't know what?!"

"WHERE HE IS."

HOW COULD _YOU_, MR. INCREDIBLE, NOT KNOW WHERE YOUR BEST FAN IS?"

"BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE LIVES."

That put Helen through a loop. She took a moment to gather herself and her breath. She waited until her heart stopped racing before continuing.

"So… you've known little Buddy for, what… _two years_. And he's never once mentioned where he lives? What about his family, what are they like? Has he talked about them?" That sickly feeling from before, when she had asked Buddy about his parents, came back full force; enough so that she had unconsciously grabbed at her stomach.

Instinctively, she knew something was up.

The feeling only grew worse as she analyzed her husband's lost and worried gaze.

"No… no, he's never once mentioned any family or home. The few times I _have _asked, he'd— he'd just switch the subject. And expertly too, he's got quite the way with words for being so young."

"Bob, you don't think that maybe he's…"

"...homeless?"

The newlyweds felt terribly on the same page, their minds imagining a little eight-year-old boy with blazing red hair, cowering inside a beat-up cardboard box within a dark and cold alley.

At least they were no longer as worried about being sued anymore.

* * *

**A/N: **

**Voyage Translation:**

"_You would not be so disrespectful if I decided to rearrange your face."_

"_I will respectfully refuse, girl, goodbye."_

So… how do you guys like my interpretation so far? I'd like to apologize for all the extra, unnecessary long lines; they weren't letting me use my normal "with the same POV" cut-offs, anymore...

It seems the Goldens are getting some facts confused and wrong in concern to Buddy; which honestly isn't their fault since the boy is too proud and embarrassed to admit he's an orphan to his hero.

Next chapter, Winn and Ev will finally have a talk about Buddy.

Buddy, himself, will have some revelations concerning Supers and Villains; whether they are the correct conclusions and not just his assumptions, remains to be seen ;).

I… am not certain that the Goldens will make an appearance in Ch 4? I want to bring them in but they seem to be escaping my plot-grasp currently; Stubborn Supers.

Have a lovely day/night, everyone!


End file.
